BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

HAMBLETON, W.Va. — In a battle of two of the state’s top Class A teams, No. 2-ranked Tucker County edged No. 1 Tug Valley 65-63 in overtime Saturday afternoon.

The last couple of seasons these two powerhouse programs have had some great battles on the hardwood and it looks like this is becoming a huge rivalry. The two played in the state championship game last March for the Single A title with Tug Valley winning 35-32.

The latest game was postponed from Friday due to the wintry weather in Tucker County.

The Mountain Lions outscored the Panthers 8-6 in the extra period to pull out the hard-fought victory over the defending state champs.

Coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson’s team led 13-11 after the first quarter and 28-26 at halftime.

Tucker County narrowly outscored the Panthers 16-15 in the third and by one point, 15-14, in the fourth quarter.

Tug trailed by five with just over 3:00 minutes left in regulation but battled back to force the game into overtime on Tucker County’s home floor.

Earlier in the game, Tug Valley point guard Braydun Ferris scored 10 points, while Bryson Elia netted nine for the Panthers.

Ferris finished the game with 25 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead TVHS. Elia finished with 13 points and also had three blocks and three steals. Carson Newsome added 15 points for the Panthers, while Ashton Davis had six and five boards, Ethan Ferrell added two and seven rebounds and Kaden Hale scored two points. Davis fouled out of the game late in the contest.

Coach Daniel Helmick’s Mountain Lions had balanced scoring with four players in double figures. Trevan Bonner scored 16, Mikey Mitchell 14, Grant Wilfong 11, Sam Marks 10 and Cayden Arnold chipped in nine.

The Panthers were cold from behind the 3-point line, making just 1-11 for 9%. They shot 45% from the floor for the game and made 10-14 at the foul line for 71%.

Tucker County made 7-18 from behind the arc for 39%. They shot 43% on field goals for the game and made 10-18 free throws for 56%.

Tug Valley is likely to drop from the No. 1 ranking after back-to-back losses to Tucker County and Phelps. The Panthers, now 4-2, were slated to host Sherman Tuesday and travel to Williamstown and Charleston Catholic on Friday and Saturday. But the severe winter weather will likely force some postponements in this week’s schedule of games.

Score by quarters:
Tug: 13 15 15 14 6 – 63
Tucker: 11 15 16 15 8 – 65